A-List Potential, F-Grade Agents

LA's elite get tough love, NY accent from former drug addict

(NEWSER) - Vinnie Marino is as likely as yoga teacher as Led Zeppelin is meditation music. Yet the recovering drug addict stretches some of Hollywood’s most elite muscles—Heather Graham and Adrien Brody among them—to his own tune. Marino, 50, has a cult of followers who live for his rocking, sweat-heavy sessions, as much about socializing as yoga, the New York Times reports. More»

From the Fresh Prince to Captain Jack Sparrow, stars aren't sweating the small notes

(NEWSER) - Hancock isn't the "have you seen it" superhero movie of the season, but star Will Smith isn't crying in his beer: The ex-Fresh Prince raked in $80 million in the year that ended June 1. The rest of the Forbes top 10:

2. Johnny Depp ($72 million)
3. Eddie Murphy ($55 million)
4. Mike Myers ($55 million)
5. Leonardo DiCaprio ($45 million)

Here's a list of stars whose movies outlasted them

(NEWSER) - Heath Ledger's posthumous appearance in The Dark Knight prompts Radar to muse on stars whose films debuted after they died, prompting critics to wonder what could have been—or to hold their tongues.

• Brad Renfro, The Informers. A onetime child star known for run-ins with the law, Renfro completed filming for the Bret Easton Ellis adaption a month before he overdosed on heroin.

These films have been plagued by more than average bad karma

(NEWSER) - Even dramas and spy movies can turn into disaster flicks, either during or after the final wrap. The Los Angeles Times takes a close look at 9 accursed movies.

1. Quantum of Solace: Anything but peaceful, the disaster tally included one lake-submerged Aston Martin, one stabbed technician, and a totaled Alfa Romero. Is it the work of SPECTRE?

America's latest sweetheart commands up to $20M per movie

(NEWSER) - Rendition was a dud, but Reese Witherspoon's peachy $15 million to $20 million fee per movie puts her atop this year’s highest-paid actress list. But she and other leading ladies—such as runner-up Angeline Jolie—often accept lower payoffs to keep their schedules packed, the Hollywood Reporter observes. More»